It is unknown whether he had a juvenile record, but the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and a journalist in California are asking whether he did—and if that information, which is private under state law, can be released.

A button featuring a picture of Michael Brown that was worn by a Ferguson, Mo., resident during a press conference with police Chief Thomas Jackson, who was fielding questions related to the shooting death of Brown on Aug. 13, 2014.

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Michael Brown’s possible history with the juvenile-justice system is taking center stage as a judge looks into requests by media to release any juvenile records he may have had, the Associated Press reports.

According to the report, juvenile records are considered private in Missouri, so no one really knows if, in fact, Brown had a criminal record before he reached legal adulthood. What is known is that the 18-year-old, who was gunned down by Ferguson, Mo., police Officer Darren Wilson, did not have an adult record on file. Brown’s family lawyer Benjamin Crump has not addressed whether the young man had a record.

The requests came from the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, which has been covering the situation in Ferguson extensively, and an online journalist in California. Both entities have alluded to a “public right to know” about Brown’s past after the protests, calls for justice and publicity surrounding his shooting death.

As AP notes, the question the judge faces is whether Brown maintains his right to privacy even in death.